Purpose – To investigate the extent to which type of media used affects the efficiency of health-focused PSAs by applying social marketing principles and evaluating exposure, attention and accessibility as three main factors influencing consumer engagement.

Research Design/Methodology- An explorative study was completed using a mixed methodology that included both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected from a cross-section of 278 adults through the use of a survey questionnaire supplemented by qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 participants. Statistical data analysis for the quantitative data included ANOVA and multiple regression, and thematic analysis for the qualitative data to achieve a greater understanding of the pattern of consumer engagement.

Findings - The analysis indicated that digital media performed better, particularly with respect to consumer attention. It was also found that consumer socio-demographics had a significant impact on both exposure and attention, with gender showing the strongest relationship with attention. Qualitative data provided insight into how consumer engagement was affected by their media habits, perceived credibility and presentation of the ads and how accessibility was a factor across all media channels.

Practical Implications – These results suggest that an integrated media strategy that combines both digital and traditional channels will be effective as well as create segmentation strategies to target audiences based on their media use and access.

Originality/Value – This study developed an integrated framework that included all three components of engagement, thereby providing empirical support for improving the selection of media channels to use within health communication campaigns.